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Capistrano Unified School District Update Mission Viejo has long been ignored by CUSD, and it is time for our residents to fight for our kids, our schools and our community. Below is Chapter Two in the continuing saga to provide information so residents have grounds to demand that CUSD provide equitable facilities for our Mission Viejo students. CVHS, a 30-year-old school, is the ONLY high school in South Orange County without a theatre/performing arts center. How can this be? Former trustees and four current ones have not made the students at CVHS their priority. There has been enough Mission Viejo money available to fund this greatly needed educational facility, but board members chose to use much of our tax dollars on schools in other cities. At the last board meeting, Benecke told Addonizio she needed a lesson in funding. Below is a funding lesson for the four trustees who have allowed this inequity to continue for 30 years: Sheila Benecke (elected 1992), Marlene Draper (elected 1988), Mike Darnold (appointed 2000) and Duane Stiff (appointed 2000). Following is an unofficial audit of Measure A and 87-1 Mission Viejo/ Aliso Viejo Mello-Roos funds. It would be an official audit, but CUSD has not been cooperative with Mission Viejo’s hired auditors, so readers will have to rely on these numbers, which were complied using documents provided over many years from CUSD. The auditor status report can be read by pasting the following link in one’s browser: http://www.cusdrecall.com/page68/page47/page188/page188.html Measure A Mello-Roos 87-1 Mission Viejo/Aliso Viejo Mello-Roos Projects funded from 87-1 Aliso Viejo: $99,505,967 or 74 percent (ANHS $34.7, AVMS $17.3, Wood Canyon $6.7, Oakgrove $6.3, DJAM $16.2, Canyon Vista $9.7, site in AV $2.11, future project ANHS $6.5 [total project including state money $11.5 to improve parking]). District Office $12,054,469 or 9 percent. Unaccounted for by district: $5,148,852 or 4 percent. (Based on a review of the Mello-Roos purchase orders, it appears this amount may be consulting fees and fees associated with the issuance of the bonds). In additional to the above, Mission Viejo’s Redevelopment Agency has funded the two-story portable at Newhart and a pool (after 25 years) at CVHS via a Certificate of Participation. Mission Viejo is the donor city for CUSD. To add insult to injury, Newhart, the CUSD trailer park and the largest middle school in the district, is now getting 15- to 20-year-old portables from Las Flores to make room for two new music portables at that school. Check the following links: http://www.applications.dgs.ca.gov/dsa/eTrackerWeb/application.asp?originid=04&appid=108654 http://www.applications.dgs.ca.gov/dsa/eTrackerWeb/application.asp?originid=04&appid=108645 Funding isn’t the problem; priority is the problem. More than $12 million of 87-1 spent on the district office could have built a theatre at CVHS. Twenty-four million of Measure A went to SJHHS, while SJC Mello-Roos was saved to put in the extras that CVHS doesn’t have. This amount could have built a theatre at CVHS. Twelve million of Measure A was spent on Arroyo Vista for 300 students in a city that didn’t pay into Measure A. This money could have built a theatre at CVHS. Eleven million of 87-1 allocated to Aliso Niguel HS to gain parking could have built a theatre at CVHS. This is only a partial list of projects that CUSD chose over a theatre at CVHS. There are many more examples, but this should do for now. CVHS has NEVER been a priority for the leadership of CUSD, and that’s the problem. If residents have time, they really should attend board meetings and listen to Sheila Benecke bully the three newly elected trustees. It is unbelievable that she would publicly show such contempt for officials who were overwhelmingly elected by the people. Several times during past meetings, when one of the three newly elected trustees asked a question, Benecke rudely responded, “Did you call that question in to the staff?” At the last meeting when Trustee Bryson responded she had not, Benecke went on about how they were to call the questions in on Monday and then said, “I guess we are going to play stump the staff. Staff, are you ready to be stumped?” After 15 years as a board member, one would think Benecke would know that the public’s business is to be conducted in public, and the staff should be prepared for any questions related to the posted agenda items. Trustees are not required to call their questions in first, and board presidents should behave professionally and politely. If the board meeting were televised, residents could see for themselves without sitting through the meetings, but the old guard doesn’t really want residents to know what they are doing or how they are behaving. What can residents do? Attend the board meetings: May 7, June 4, June 25, July 16, Aug. 13, Sept. 10, Oct. 15, Nov. 5 and Dec. 10. Stay for the entire meeting, and maybe the presence of residents will force Benecke to behave properly. If residents wish to address the board on items not on the agenda, public comments are usually presented around 8:30 p.m. Those wanting to make comments need to have a blue speaker card filled out to speak prior to that time. To comment on agenda items, speakers will have to have a speaker card turned in before the item comes up for discussion. Residents have three minutes to speak. Write to the trustees and superintendent and let them know you are paying attention. Email them at superintendent@capousd.org, and ask that a copy of your email to be sent to each board member. Vote Draper, Stiff, Benecke and Darnold out of office. Their terms are up in 2008. |
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